Previously, many types of aspirators have been in use to provide an effective means for suctioning either from the medical practitioner providing the negative pressure by mouth or using mechanical suctioning equipment available in the clinical environment.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however, the following U.S. patents were considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 4,762,125 Leiman et al Aug. 9, 1988 4,369,991 Linder Jan. 25, 1983 4,248,236 Linder Feb. 3, 1981 4,275,724 Behrstock Jun. 30, 1981 4,185,639 Linder Jan. 29, 1980 4,033,331 Guss et al Jul. 5, 1977 3,957,055 Linder et al May 18, 1976 3,322,126 Rusch et al May 30, 1967 ______________________________________
Leiman et al teach a balloon-tipped suction or extirpation catheter with an inflatable balloon mounted on and around the end of the catheter. The catheter further contains apertures above the balloon allowing suction or pressure to the area above the inflated balloon. A control port is disposed in the wall of the catheter for controlling transmission of suction forces.
Linder, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,236, teaches a catheter with a long, thin guide consisting of a polymer-coated wire of malleable material with the proximal end formed into a smooth handle.
Behrstock discloses an endotracheal intubation device having an inner flexible conduit and an outer shapable conduit slid over the top with suction applied by the medical practitioner. A suction trap is employed to prevent the meconium from being sucked into the users own mouth.
Guss et al invention is directed to a cardiac catheter having a catheter with a main lumen and a wire lumen. A wire is inserted, in a removable manner, into the wire lumen parallel with the main fluid lumen stiffening the catheter and allowing the creation of a plurality of different curvatures at the distal end to aid in obtaining visual representations of different areas of the cardiac system.
Rusch et al teach a surgically inserted tracheotoms catheter that allows a second catheter to be introduced into the first. An inflatable holder section surrounds the first on the outside to block the tracheal passage when inflated with a hand operated bulb. A support disc engages the outer portion of the patients neck with the second tube inserted into the first for removing fluids without interferring with the function of the first catheter.
Prior art known to be on the market includes a so-called "GESCO ASPIRATOR", registered trademark, manufactured by GESCO International of San Antonio, Texas, having a catheter, aspirator body with a thumb control port stopper, a hydrophobic fluid barrier and a suction line with an adapter.
Another device on the market is called a Meconium Aspirator and is produced by Intertech Resources, Inc., Bannockburn, Illinois. This aspirator includes a catheter, reservoir, filter, and a suction tube with a mouthpiece.
Finally, Hospital Concepts of Northridge, California produces an "HCI Meconium Aspirator" having a body with a thumb control port and adapter on one end for suction, also an adapter for a catheter on the other.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the remaining cited patents.